Will There Be Light?

Will there be light? That's a challenge we face whenever we take photographs. So much of what we see and, particularly, what we feel about what we see, is dependent on lighting conditions. Last week, I shared images of table settings I'd photographed by candlelight. Thank you so very much to all of you who left such kind, generous comments. Thank you again to Susan of Between Naps on the Porch for encouraging me to turn off the flash when taking pictures for Affordable Accoutrements.

I suppose I should mention that, in years past, I sometimes used to photograph still life set-ups and finished paintings (for slides to enter competitions) without a flash. I was using a 35 millimeter camera, however, and professional film, a light meter, a tripod, halogen lights, and a remote shutter control. I just hadn't kept up with current technology and didn't realize how hard any decent digital camera tries to capture a viewable image under almost any type of lighting conditions.

Some of the people I truly admire in Blogland when it comes to consistently producing photographs I consider compelling and, yes, magical are Coty of Styling by Coty Farquhar, Pat of Back Porch Musings, and Michael Lee of Designs by Gollum. I've gained a great deal of inspiration from visiting their blogs.

Several of the photographs I'm sharing today were taken in soft, early morning light. A few were done at mid-day, and others, in late afternoon, when cast shadows are often far more dramatic. They're not necessarily clear and crisp, but there's something in each of them that I rather like -- that indefinable something -- that conveys what I'd set out to share with readers. The last few are food and beverage shots (definitely not my forté, but fun to attempt!).

Photographs taken by candlelight seem to possess an innate emotional appeal. Capturing the elusive quality of natural daylight can be a bit more challenging. It requires patience, fairly precise timing, and more than a modicum of luck. When it happens, it's immensely satisfying.



I hope you don't mind if I share another of my favorite You Tube videos with you this week. It's The Prayer by Charlotte Church and Josh Groban. Of all the many versions of the emotional and powerfully spiritual song (by very talented performers), this is the one that moves me the most. I hope you'll listen as you scroll through the images. Enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you'll visit Susan of Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. There's always wonderful inspiration from Susan and all her talented participants.

If you'd like information about anything you've seen, just leave a comment or send an e-mail to affordableaccoutrements@gmail.com. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.


Warmest regards,